Polish court finds former dpty finance minister guilty of xenophobic statements – media

A court found Krzysztof Tolwinski, a deputy finance minister in Jaroslaw Kaczynski’s government known for pro-Russian and pro-Lukashenko views, guilty of xenophobic statements directed against Ukrainians, Gazeta Wyborcza reports.

"The Bialystok District Court (Judge Marek Rymarski) found Tolwinski guilty of crimes committed on the grounds of national hatred. The court confirmed that from March 30, 2022, to May 10, 2022, he insulted Ukrainians because of their nationality and publicly called for hatred against them by publishing posts and recordings with such content on a social portal," the publication reports.

According to the report, the Sokółka district prosecutor’s office twice closed proceedings in the case regarding Tolwinski’s anti-Ukrainian statements, and the Bialystok regional prosecutor’s office supported this decision. Investigators saw no crime in them. Now, the court has determined that Tolwinski broke the law.

The indictment against Tolwinski cited his scandalous statements insulting Ukrainians, such as: "Bandera scum, primitive people whose only goal is to destroy our culture and order!" or: "We must get rid of them before this Ukrainian plague completely infects our society!"

"This is a purely political case. This verdict enriches my political resume; for me, it is a political gift. For me, it is an honor, although I absolutely disagree with it," Tolwinski said in a comment to the newspaper.

The verdict has not yet entered into legal force. Tolwinski must decide whether to appeal after reviewing the written justification.